A brewing device (1) for a coffee machine includes a brewing cylinder (6) with a cylindrical bore and two pistons (3 and 4), such that the brewing cylinder is able to be closed to form a brewing chamber. The brewing cylinder (6) and pistons (3 and 4) are held in a frame (2). Before the brewing operation, coffee powder is introduced into the brewing chamber. The coffee powder cake (17) ejected from the brewing chamber is stripped off into a collection container (20) via a stripping element (18). Disposed between the stripping element (18) and the collection container (20) is a subcomponent (22) that separates the coffee powder cake (17), stripped off by the stripping element (18), into pieces (17′, 17″) before the coffee powder cake reaches the collection container (20). The coffee powder cakes are stored in the container (20).